Value-Based Resolutions 2025

This year, I made a decision to delve into a more structured and introspective approach to setting my New Year's resolutions by opting for the Valued Living Questionnaire from Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT). This questionnaire, derived from the principles of DBT, serves as a powerful tool to help individuals identify their core values and align their goals with what truly matters to them. By incorporating this questionnaire into my resolution-setting process, I aimed to not only establish tangible goals for the upcoming year but also to ensure that these goals are in harmony with my deepest values and aspirations.

Life Component	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Family (other than romantic relationships or parenting)
Romantic Relationships (Marriage, life partners, dating, and so on)
Parenting
Friends and Social Life
Work
Education and Training
Recreation (Interests, hobbies, music, art, etc)
Spirituality and Religion
Citizenship and Community Life
Self Care (Exercise, diet, relaxation, etc)

DBT, a therapeutic modality developed by Marsha M. Linehan, emphasizes the importance of mindfulness, emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance. By utilizing a tool like the Valued Living Questionnaire, I sought to integrate these DBT principles into my personal growth journey for the New Year. This approach allowed me to reflect on what truly brings meaning and fulfillment to my life, enabling me to set resolutions that are not only achievable but also deeply meaningful and in alignment with my authentic self.

Through this intentional and thoughtful process, I was able to gain a clearer understanding of my values, priorities, and aspirations, paving the way for a more purposeful and fulfilling year ahead. By structuring my resolutions around the core principles of DBT and the insights provided by the Valued Living Questionnaire, I set myself on a path towards personal growth, self-discovery, and holistic well-being in the coming year.

However, merely identifying your values is not enough; you must also take concrete steps to translate your values into action. This is where the concept of Committed Action comes into play. Committed Action involves moving beyond intention and actually implementing strategies and behaviors that reflect your values. It requires dedication, consistency, and a willingness to step out of your comfort zone in pursuit of your aspirations.

By embracing Committed Action, you empower yourself to bridge the gap between your current reality and your desired future. This proactive approach propels you towards growth, resilience, and personal transformation. Through consistent effort and a steadfast commitment to your values, you can navigate challenges, overcome obstacles, and ultimately manifest the life you envision.

Example

Let's say that your 3 highest values on the list were Education and Training, Recreation, and Self Care. You would then list your intention for each value along with 3-5 steps which you plan on taking in the New Year to achieve your intentions.

Education and Training

A component in my life that I value is Education and Training. My intention for this component is to further my education and work toward building my CV for my future career. The committed actions that I am willing to take in 2025 to achieve this are:

1. I will do free online courses that offer credit.

2. I will do further reading on my subjects.

3. I will stick to a more rigid timetable that covers everything evenly.

Recreation

(Interests, hobbies, music, art, etc)

A component in my life that I value is Recreation. My intention for this component is to spend more time creating art and developing my skill. The committed actions that I am willing to take in 2025 to achieve this are:

1. I will start taking singing lessons again to improve my technique.

2. I will continue practicing piano.

3. I will sketch at least once a week.

Self Care

(Exercise, diet, relaxation, etc)

A component in my life that I value is Self Care.

My intention for this component is to

The committed actions that I am willing to take in 2025 to achieve this are:

1. I will create a short daily exercise routine that's fun and keeps me interested.

2. I will add protein shakes to my diet.

3. I will start going to 1-1 therapy.

This way you now have set steps to focus on throughout the year. If you want to be even more motivated to stay on track, try giving yourself deadlines! (e.g. maybe set yourself a deadline for each of the online courses you do so that you're completing 1 every 3 months).

Rehearsing Values-Based Behaviour

Whenever you turn your values in action, you’re likely to face challenges and barriers. Sometimes values-based actions bring up negative thoughts like, “I can’t do this”, or “people will judge me”. Often fear of being rejected or failing gets in the way. Feelings of shame or discouragement can also make it hard to act on values.

A good way to overcome these barriers is to mentally practice each step of a value-based action, including identifying likely obstacles and how you’ll face them. This is called cognitive rehearsal! Using this strategy, you’ll even visualise yourself with a confident facial expression and posture, moving toward your goal despite painful thoughts and feelings.

Here a simplified version of how to do cognitive rehearsal:

• Identify the exact situation where you want to enact your values: where are you? Who’s there? What are other people saying and doing?

• What intentions do you want to act on in this situation? What would you say or of in order to turn this value into action?

• Break your values-based behaviour into specific steps. As vividly as possible, imagine yourself in the situation acting on your value and intentions.

• Notice the berries that come up - anxiety, discouragement, thoughts of failure, and so on. Stick with the visualisation for long enough to experience the more prominent obstacles.

• Now, from the beginning, do a full visualised rehearsal of the situation and each step of your values-based behaviour - while noticing any distressing feelings that may arise. As barriers show up, try to accept whatever discomfort they bring while seeing yourself successfully completing your values-based goal.

• Imagine people responding well to what you don, and congratulate yourself for choosing values over old emotion-driven behaviour.

• Repeat the full visualisation (values-based behaviour, barriers, and positive outcome) at least one more time.

Conclusion

Let's summarise! This year, I embraced a structured approach to setting New Year's resolutions by using the Valued Living Questionnaire from Dialectical Behavioural Therapy. This tool helped me align my goals with my core values, ensuring a meaningful and purposeful resolution process. By integrating DBT principles like mindfulness and emotional regulation, I aimed for personal growth and authenticity in the upcoming year. Through Committed Action, I planned to translate values into tangible steps, fostering self-discovery and holistic well-being. By rehearsing values-based behavior and visualizing overcoming obstacles, I set a path for growth and resilience. This deliberate process aimed to bridge the gap between current reality and desired future, fostering a fulfilling and purpose-driven year ahead.

So how will you be structuring your New Years Resolutions? Do you think you're ready to use a Value-Based approach?